


The Battle for Tal Afar

by alrangerz



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Bombing, Cheating, Explicit Language, Gay Male Character, Heartbreak, Injury Recovery, M/M, Origin Story, Original Character(s), Seizures, Serious Injuries, Trans Male Character, War, i dont ever know if i tag these right
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:55:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23587222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alrangerz/pseuds/alrangerz
Summary: Kelvin's origin story and how he came about to be a part of Rainbow.
Kudos: 5





	1. Battles for Strength

**Author's Note:**

> Idk how tagging works for these kinds of writings, but keep in mind that this takes place in the war against ISIS and the battle of Tal Afar in 2017. There will be mentions of a suicide bomber, and any and all injuries in the result of building collapse! I tried my best to do research for this so I hope it's as factually correct as possible! Please let me know if I need to tag something not listed!

Kelvin took in a deep breath and held it to keep himself steady, finger hovering over the trigger of his rifle as he watched his targets in the building across from the one he was hiding in. His current mission was to assist in taking out reported ISIL militants in the overridden city of Tal Afar, Iraq. There hadn’t been many signs of activity within the last few days, just one or two major persons of interest hiding away. His squadron had received orders to move towards the northern precinct of the city to meet with Iraqi forces. Their objective was to clear out the area, search for hostages, and report back to claim the land. That seemed easy enough, Kelvin told himself during the briefing on the plane.

Now he was regretting his thoughts from earlier. It was the middle of summer, meaning it was hot in the Middle East, and his uniform and gear were not helping to ease the amount of sweat forming along his hairline. He was already nervous as he stared down the scope on his M4, counting the targets as they passed the windows.

“Hernandez, what we got,” a woman asked beside him. It was his closest friend and superior, Myra. She held her own weapon in hand, a M16A2, but she kept herself tucked behind the wall and out of sight of the enemy.

“ _T_ _enemos tres en el segundo piso y hay cinco debajo de ellos._ That’s only what I can see, we should be careful. There might be many more on the upper floors. Santiago, we’ll wait on your orders.” He pulled his rifle back and kneeled down beside Myra, nodding to the brunette as she took in the information. She had to keep in mind that there were several other buildings for them to clear, but she didn’t have any information on those yet.

“Wait for Charlie and Delta to give us their positions and their intel before we engage.”

Wait. Perfect, Kelvin thought to himself as he checked his watch multiple times. Before he could say something, he heard Myra’s voice. “Okay, everyone, I want Alpha and Delta to move in towards the northwestern building while Beta and Charlie take the eastern, out.”

_Copy that._

_10-4, Sergeant._

Kelvin let out a deep breath and nodded to Myra one last time before he scrambled to his feet and briskly walked to the eastern building, Myra and their teams behind him. He approached the door and held out his fist near his head to signal a freeze. Everyone paused and watched as Kelvin signaled for the squad leader to come forth to perform the breaching.

Before the older man could make his way to the front of the group, Myra signaled for the team to split and the other half to wrap around to create a distraction during breaching. “Hernandez, lead them,” she whispered before telling them to start moving out.

There was no time for Kelvin to react or respond. Myra’s team was already starting the breach. He quickly escorted his team around the building and thanked whatever god there was that he found a back door. He counted to three and kicked down the door as soon as they approached it. Yelling could be heard above them, but it quickly became panicked when the squad leader breached from the front.

With little hesitation, Kelvin took his team upstairs and began taking out anyone they ran into. There were definitely a few more enemies than what he was able to point out earlier, Maybe three more. When they finished clearing the second floor he signaled to his team to split into three. He decided to go off on his own to scout ahead and on the next floor up. He checked each room he passed by, but so far they seemed to be empty. That was weird to him; he could’ve sworn there were more people upstairs. At least there were no hostages.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone wrapping their arm around his neck and pulling him back against them. He dropped his weapon and instinctively reached to claw at the arm that was cutting off his airway. The person was definitely a lot bigger than him, putting him at a slight disadvantage. He tried to pry into their grip, but the hold was too strong, and lack of air was starting to make him panic slightly.

_Team leader, our side is clear. What’s your status? Over._

Kelvin heard the voice on his comms but he couldn’t reach up to respond. He searched his mind for anything to help him get free, but he was blanking. Then he remembered the position he was in. Legs bent and helping keep the balance between them, forcing the taller man to bend forward slightly. The young Puerto Rican swung his legs forward to shift their weights and hurl them towards the ground. He curled himself in and grunted when he rolled right out of the person’s grasp. The landing wasn’t the most graceful and it definitely hurt, but Kelvin had gotten free and hurriedly scrambled to his feet and grabbed his gun. “Stay right where you are! State your name and affiliation!”

_Team leader, do you copy?_

Kelvin didn’t answer, he was too worried to drop his guard again. The voice yelled in his ears once more, this time Myra sounded panicked. “Third floor, second room on the right. I have a target. Over.” He kept his gun trained on the man who was slowly getting to his feet. His face was covered by a black bandana and a hood covered the rest of his head. His torso was adorned with a black coat, but as he unzipped it, Kelvin realized the man was strapped with explosive materials. His heart dropped at the sight and suddenly he was scared. For once on the battlefield, who could admit his fears, yet he did his best to not show it.

ستون ثانية ، أمريكي (Sixty seconds, American.)

The words were foreign to the young man’s ears, but he didn't need much of a translation when he heard a beeping coming from the man. Whatever timer he set had been started, which forced Kelvin to give both teams new orders. “Myra, we have a problem...I have a bomber in my possession... _Todos necesitan irse ahora mismo. Esa es una orden directa..._ ” He had faith Myra would translate for him.

The order alone made his chest feel tight as his anxiety began to creep up. His decision was one any airman would do for their team, their country. He always learned that if he could save everyone else with his decision, then so be it. It was his one life versus several others. “Why are you doing this? Don’t you think there is more to life than just strapping yourself with bombs and dying for a just cause?

A dark chuckle sounded in the small room, making Kelvin swallow hard. “You Americans are all the same. You think it is easy to just leave and be free. I, too, am fighting for my country, just doing it the proper way. Right now you are down to thirty seconds before we die here. I hope you have made your amends with Allah.”

Kelvin shook his hands and glanced at the window behind the man. An idea suddenly popped up in his head, all he had to do was count down the remaining seconds in his head. “Of course I have, but not for this occasion.” He counted to the last five seconds and raised his gun, firing a single bullet into the man’s forehead before he ran forward and shoved the guy outside just in time for the bombs to detonate. The blast was large enough to blow him back from the window, causing him to hit the ground with a harsh thud. He groaned when his side flared with pain and the ringing in his ears started up. He wouldn’t have been surprised if there was blood dripping down the sides of his face now. If he hadn’t been so disoriented, he’d have noticed that the building started to shake. Unfortunately he had yet to realize that the blast had caught the side of the structure.

Kelvin coughed as he picked himself up and looked around for the entrance, wincing when he turned too far. _Shit I need to get out of here_ . He walked out of the room and looked around for the staircase, sighing in defeat when he noticed that some of the staircase had already started to crumble. _I’m really going to die here...motherfucker…_

Dying to a collapsing building out in the middle of Iraq was not the way Kelvin thought he’d be ending his life. He always assumed he’d finish his tour then return home to his aunts, making sure they could live comfortably in a nice home near the beach. He always wanted to settle down with his partner, maybe have a few kids and a dog. A cabin somewhere in the mountains in Georgia was his ideal living location after retirement, but now he wouldn’t live to even see thirty. That was his last thought before he shook his head and braced himself against the wall, walking as fast as he could back towards the window. Once he was staring outside, he could see the foundation giving way beneath the structure and generally he knew that wasn't a good sign.

“ _Oh mi Dios, guardame en sus manos._ ”

With a deep breath and a bit of unsteady swaying, Kelvin stepped onto the ledge and looked down. Wrong move. It wasn’t a far drop, but three stories could break his bones. His hesitation eventually cost him for the floor beneath him rumbled and cracked before all of it sunk in, taking him with it. Then everything went dark.

Everything hurt; it all felt like it was on fire, his body screaming at him to find anything to extinguish the heat, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t open his eyes, he couldn’t move his limbs, but he could still hear.

_Am I dead? No, I can hear still...but dead people can hear their own thoughts I’m sure._

_“Hey, we found him!”_

_That sounds like Santiago...Who did you find?_

_“Oh shit, his pulse is weak, but he’s alive. We need medevac now!”_

_That voice...Myra...are you hurt? Is that why we need medevac? No...it’s for me, isn’t it?_

_“Lieutenant, dustoff inbound. We need a flare for your exact location.”_

Myra grit her teeth as she reached for a flare on her duty belt. She made sure it was secure in her hand before she raised it above her head and tossed it some feet away. “ _Hermanito,_ hey, stay with me…” She carefully pulled Kelvin into her lap and cradled his bloodied face in her hands. “Hey, you gotta stay awake. We’re gonna get you out of here. After this we’re gonna go see Titi and her wife, right? I can’t go see them alone, Kelvin…please...”

_You won’t? I’m right here with you…why are you acting like I’m-_

_“Clear!”_

Myra watched in fear as the medics tried to bring Kelvin back to life. His pulse had been checked once more after they pulled him onto one of the stretchers and the soldier had declared him unresponsive and without a pulse. That alone caused them to hurry their movements and load him onto the helicopter as another soldier came around with a defibrillator and set it appropriately.

Kelvin’s body flopped lifelessly on the stretcher when they delivered the shock to his body.

“Shit! He’s still out, charge to 300!”

“Clear!”

_So this is it, huh? Damn. Just when I was going to get married too. Fucking great..._

Kelvin gasped as his heart started beating again, blood sputtering out of his mouth as he coughed and began to thrash around. Painful was an understatement for how he was feeling. Being dead was way better than being alive, he thought in that singular moment. Thankfully, the medics around him slipped him some anesthesia and he was out in seconds.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, it was a slow and tedious process, and the light in the room wasn’t making it any easier. His eyelids felt extremely heavy, and maybe it was because he was exhausted, or maybe it was because he had been sleeping for at least a day, he assumed.

“You’re awake…”

The voice sounded from his left and upon turning his head, he noticed a young grey haired man with the brightest blue eyes. “Dayutis?” The name came out in a harsh, raspy whisper, and suddenly water was a necessity.

“Yeah, hey. How are you feeling?”

Kelvin shrugged and winced when he tried to sit up. The air was almost knocked out of his lungs at the small movement, and the one named Dayutis was by his side almost immediately, helping him sit upright in the hospital bed. He gave him the cup of water, helping him sip at it.

“Ugh, _donde estoy?_ ”

Dayutis pulled a chair up to the bed and took Kelvin’s bandaged hand in his. Sad blue eyes looked over his fiance’s form, frowning at the mass amount of bandages and bruises. “We are in Germany, my love. Kelvin...I was so scared. I thought we were gonna lose you, darling…” He pressed his lips into a thin line and ran a shaky hand through his dark grey locks. Something Kelvin always loved to watch him do as long as they’ve been together.

“Jeez, Day. You make it seem like I’ve been dead for years.”

“Vin, you were in a coma for a few days…”

_Oh._

“How bad is it,” the younger man asked quietly.

“Aside from whatever psychological trauma you’ll experience, your ribs were broken, three each side. Your clavicle was shattered, doctor said most likely a piece of the building landed directly on it. One of your legs...broken femur. You...there was a really nasty gash on your forehead and one on top of your skull. So far the doctors said everything looks fine since they checked out your brain, but you’re going to have to take it very easy. Babe...there was blood everywhere.” Dayutis took a moment to close his eyes and breath. “You looked so helpless and I was blaming myself for not going upstairs with you…”

Kelvin shook his head and squeezed the older man’s hand softly, running his thumb over the back of the other’s. “Hey, this isn’t your fault. I made my choice and it saved many lives, yes?”

Dayutis opened his eyes, but he didn’t meet those brown ones looking at him. He knew the moment he did, he’d break down into a mess. “I don’t care about you saving lives! Yes, it’s our job, our duty, but you’re going to be my husband, Kelvin. Put yourself in my shoes for one goddamn second, and ask yourself how you would feel?” 

_How would I feel? I wouldn’t really feel angry...it’s what we signed up for, isn’t it?_ “Day, I wouldn’t feel the same way as you…”

The blue eyed man hung his head and laughed. “Of course. That’s what always made you different, Hernandez. Kelvin...I don’t think we are going to work out.”

“Wait, Dayutis, please don’t do this. Can’t we just get over this disagreement like we usually do?”

Kelvin ignored the pain in his side for the moment as he leaned forward and took Day’s face in his hands. “Day, please, look at me…” He furrowed his brow as the pain became increasingly harder to ignore. Then he blanked. “Shit…”

The moment Dayutis looked up at Kelvin, he gasped and called for a nurse or a doctor while holding Kelvin in place and turning him onto his side.

“What happened,” the doctor asked as she walked into the room, giving the two nurses orders as soon as they stepped in behind him. Dayutis placed his hands on top of his head and watched in fear as the medical personnel worked hard after the convulsions settled down.

“Dammit, he’s bleeding through the bandages! Book an OR right now and get the neurosurgeon on call!”

Before Dayutis could question what has happened, they’re wheeling Kelvin upstairs to the available OR. He’s escorted out of the room and politely asked to sit in the waiting area with Myra who had been bouncing her leg since he sat down. The nurse who had escorted Dayutis looked at her chart and looked over at Myra. “Lt. Santiago, correct?”

Myra nodded and held her hand out, silently requesting the chart. She looked over the paperwork and felt her heart drop. “Fuck me…”

“What’s wrong?”

“ _Hermanito_ had a seizure. Early post-traumatic. The bleeding from his head started again and they’re sure there’s more in his brain. A subdural hematoma.” Myra returned the chart and pressed her face into her hands, groaning deeply. She was exhausted and still covered in dirt and soot from the bombing earlier. Searching for her little brother in all the rubble dirtied her uniform quite well.

“But didn’t they do the scans?”

She glanced over at Dayutis, at the ring on his finger, and sighed. “Yes, but I have a feeling that his seizure ruptured a fragile vessel or two. He’s in good hands, Day. Why don’t you get some rest. I’ll stay here and wait the next few hours.”

Dayutis grumbled but a single glare made him get up from his seat and leave to find the cafeteria.

It was six hours later when Myra was shaken awake by someone. Her eyes snapped open and she grabbed the wrist of whoever had touched her. “Oh, my deepest apologies,” she whispered upon noticing the nurse from earlier alongside the surgeon who worked on Kelvin.

“The name’s Dr. Tillman. Kelvin is in stable condition. We managed to find and stop the bleeding as well as redo the stitching on his wounds. Turns out the skin wasn’t holding which caused it to pull apart and of course the bleeding started up again.” The surgeon leaned against the wall of the waiting area and crossed his arms. “Uh, I do want to assure you that as far as the seizure goes, it was because of the concussion he suffered, and that caused the vessels to rupture and, in turn, caused the bleeding. He does have the potential to develop epilepsy, but the chances of that happening is less than ten percent.”

Myra nodded along to let the surgeon know that she’d been listening as he spoke. “And when can he return to duty?”

“I’m afraid we’re going to have to have him medically discharged. He needs months to recover from this plus any therapy before he’s cleared for anything again. Now, he may get lucky and recover faster than others with little to no symptoms of PTSD. I’ve seen it happen to those who are mentally healthy, and from reading most of Kelvin’s records...he just might be okay. Once again, he is stable and you may see him in his room now. Don’t worry if he’s not awake.”

“Thank you, Dr. Tillman. You are doing wonderful things for our soldiers.” She stood up and saluted him before going to find Dayutis. It didn’t take her long to find the American man sitting at a table alone. He seemed to be texting someone. Myra snuck up behind him and looked at his phone screen, frowning when she saw the messages.

“Who is that?”

Dayutis jumped and locked his phone, slamming it face down on the table. “Just an old friend. What do you want?”

“Hm, you send dick pics to old friends? What are y’all doing? Sharing sizes or something? Also, I came by to let you know that we can go see Kelvin now, but I’m sure you have better things to do. Are you even ready to get married?”

The question caught the young man off guard. “Of course I’m ready, I just...I don’t really feel the same anymore. So much time away from one another, ya know?”

Myra narrowed her gaze at him. “No, I don’t know. You’re cheating on him, aren’t you,” the Dominican woman questioned, tone laced with a trace of anger.

“Look, it’s nothing like that. It’s not like I was planning on not breaking things off. I was going to say something but then he had that seizure. I still, and will always, love him. I just don’t think I can do this whole waiting thing. I mean, our wedding was already pushed back because of this whole war.” Dayutis mumbled the last part.

“How long?”

“What?”

“How long have you been talking to other guys?” Myra was trying her best to stay calm. Kelvin was like her little brother in every sense. They got close after college and his aunts practically took her in. She’d do anything if it meant keeping Kelvin safe and happy.

“Since deployment,” Dayutis confessed.

“That’s…” Myra paused to count the months. “Three months. You’ve been cheating on my brother for three months? I ought to kill you right here.” She growled and grabbed the collar of his uniform and slammed him against the table. “I will never forgive you. You told him you loved him enough to marry him and you’re out being a whore. I will be telling him, but only after you confess first.” She let the younger man go and stomped out of the cafeteria, ignoring the stares for the other people around them.

* * *

_God, my head is killing me. I feel so tired…_

Kelvin opened his eyes, squinting against the lights in the room. They seemed to be a lot brighter than before.

He slowly turned his head and blinked at the person sitting beside his bed. A small smile graced his lips when he noticed who it was. “Hey…”

The brunette leaned onto the bed and placed her hand on his forearm. “You look like shit.”

“Yeah? You do too.” He chuckled quietly, wincing when he laughed a little too hard. “Where’s Day?”

At the mention of his fiancé, Myra clenched her jaw and shrugged. “Last I saw him he was in the cafeteria. Look, there’s something you should…” Her words were interrupted by someone knocking on the room door. It was Dayutis himself, a sad smile on his face. “It can wait, Kelv. I’ll leave you two alone. I’ll be back.” She stood from the chair and gently pressed a kiss to the younger man’s forehead. On her way out, she purposely bumped into Dayutis, giving him a mean look. “You better tell him.”

Dayutis nodded slowly and entered the room, finding himself in the chair at Kelvin’s side once more. He stared at his lap and twiddled his thumbs.

“Hey, look at me…do you really want us to break up?”

The American man was silent for a moment, and suddenly he felt emotional. All the guilt from his actions finally caught up to him. “Yes, but not because of what’s all going on...Kelvin, I’m...so sorry.” He looked up at the injured man and bit his lip to avoid crying. “I didn’t mean any of it, I just...we were growing apart and I needed someone…”

Realization dawned on Kelvin when Dayutis finally let himself cry. He had been cheated on. And if he were honest with himself, he wasn’t even surprised. “I knew it…”

“What?”

“I figured you were. You didn’t realize it that day, but I saw the way you looked at Evanston. The look you shared is one I hadn’t seen in months, and it hurt me to know that, but for my sake, and the nation’s, I didn’t say anything. I was willing to work past it when the time came, but it seems that there is no option for us…” Kelvin took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His head was starting ache more with each word he uttered. He didn’t have the mentality, or effort, to continue with an argument. “Just...leave the ring with Myra and never approach me again. I hope you and Evanston can be happy with one another while I sit here and suffer towards recovery.”

Dayutis wiped his face and hurriedly slipped the ring off of his finger. He turned it over in his hands and clenched it in his fist. “I love you, Kelvin. I always will and I wish you the best of luck. I’m sorry we had to end this way, but just know that I never meant to hurt you, and I genuinely cared for you.” He stood from the chair and leaned down to give him one last kiss before he exited the room to search for Myra.

* * *

Kelvin sighed deeply and screwed his eyes shut to keep himself from crying. What had he done to deserve everything that’s happened to him? He asked himself that for days, which turned into weeks. Months of constant anger and turmoil as he spent his days wondering when he’d be able to properly walk again Thoughts of Dayutis plagued his mind for weeks. He also feared having another seizure. Unfortunately, he’s had three since his release from the hospital some weeks ago. He was given medication to help, but the last few had slipped by.

Thankfully he had Myra by his side. She knew when to help him and when to back off lest he get upset with her. She did keep a close eye on him whenever she could, writing down everything he did differently than usual. When reporting everything to the doctor, it was said that Kelvin was recovering a lot faster than other patients have, but to Kelvin...it just wasn’t fast enough. He wanted to be back on his feet, back in a lab messing with experiments while having the airmen test it for future use. All he wanted to do was re-enlist. Myra told him it wouldn’t be possible; that he’d have to be fully recovered to join the military again.

So he recovered. He kept his mind healthy by reading any and all textbooks in his home. Physical therapy had been quite the hassle, but with a better attitude, he got through it. His mood had changed drastically and he had Myra to thank for it. She never gave up on him and pushed him when he needed it most. The day he was able to walk without assistance was a day for celebration. Everyone had been so proud of; so patient with him, and he couldn’t thank them enough.

The following year, he re-enlisted. He had been cleared for duty once more, but he was strictly assigned to lab duty and testing. That was more than okay for Kelvin. That’d just mean he’d have a lot more time on his hands to perfect his work. And right now, his current experiment was a gravity bomb. Yes, his fellows had been skeptical, but after everything in Iraq, he thought it’d be useful to find a way to save soldiers who could be caught in such a situation. He spent countless hours in the testing facilities throwing small prototypes at the walls before he’d be swept off his feet, suspended in air for a good few seconds, then dropped harshly onto his back. It was never enough to seriously injure him, but it was great at knocking the wind out of him. Yet that didn’t deter him from trying over and over again, until he got it right.

When he finally perfected the gadget, he asked Air Force officials to have them tested in training. The request was granted almost immediately and the feedback was positive. Many officials returned to Kelvin and wondered how he created such a thing. He always told them it was magic and a second chance.


	2. Harry's Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelvin gets a special visist from Mr. Pandey himself.

“Hernandez, you have a guest.”

Kelvin looked up from his chart and smiled at a man who had walked in behind the lab leader. He wasn’t someone Kelvin recognized with short black hair and glasses. He was a bit taller than Kelvin and quite thin, but he looked nice.

“Good afternoon, Kelvin. My name is Harry Pandey. I am the director of Rainbow, an elite group of people from all around the world who specialize in counterterrorism.” Harry held out his hand and smiled when Kelvin took it. “Your superiors reached out to me and told me you had a knack for astrophysics. Quite an interesting subject to have a degree in. Tell me more about what you have here.”

Kelvin gave Harry a questioning look, but he was never one for bad manners, so he escorted the young man farther into the lab. “Our facility is state of the art, built for-”

“My apologies for interrupting. I meant this little gravity project of yours. I’ve heard good things about it.”

Kelvin nodded slowly and took Harry towards his side of the lab where his station sat with countless files and little tools strewn about its surface. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out a small pouch. “I call it Graviton. It’s a small grenade that can stick to any surface and within milliseconds it detonates and forces the area into a zero gravity environment. I’ve tried to reduce the radius to avoid causing too much chaos, but I just can’t seem to get the numbers right.”

Harry rubbed his chin and nodded with a grin on his face. If he offered to take Kelvin in, not only would he have a new asset, but he could get some of the others to help the younger man with decreasing the area just so. “Tell you what: Come with me and be part of the team and we’ll have some of my best look at that gadget of yours and try to help with it.”

“Wait, but I’m not even a counter-”

“Don’t think I don’t know about your little mission in Iraq. That was brave on your end and you saved countless lives; fellow and civilian. That is what I look for when I recruit people. Take the time to think about it. I’ll have Specialist Santiago contact me with your answer. I heard she is very persuasive.” The older man clapped his hands and patted Kelvin’s back before he turned to leave. “Oh, and before I forget, Kelvin. It was a pleasure to meet you, and I hope to hear from you soon.” With that, he turned on his heel and exited the lab.


End file.
